Whenever I've used compression fittings (over 30 years) I have always had a leak. Always. I discovered these push fittings 20 years ago and decided to use them when fitting a new kitchen and bathroom. Jobs completed in no time at all and no leaks whatsoever all this time. Best thing ever for a non-plumber DIYer. Love your insights keep them coming and hope that your subscriber list improves dramatically.
@@sonacphotos I don't know what I've been doing wrong. As an example, a few years ago I had my boiler replaced together with a couple of radiators. I mentioned my leak problem to the plumber and he asked me to show him what I was doing (wrong.) He examined my work, said it was perfect, turned the water on and it leaked! However, I have followed the advice in this video and others online especially in regard to using PTFE tape incorrectly, experimented on an outside tap and woohoo, no leaks. It just goes to show you are never too old to learn.
One mistake some people make with compression fittings is using PTFE tape on the threads. That stops the nut from tightening fully and you get inadequate compression of the olive. Never use anything on the threads but you can put a smear of White Hawk or similar jointing compound round the olive.
@@Phiyedough If the olive and seat are cleaned before tightening the joint will not leak, white hawk or similar jointing compound is for cowboys, try undoing and re-tightening a compression fitting that has been put together with jointing compound, after a while the compound will have gone hard and crusty, also some of the compound will find it's way inside the pipe and clog up any narrow passage like a rad valve etc. Cowboys won't be bothered about other things getting clogged because it will be another excuse to rip off the customer at a later date.
One to add to this using speedfit on chrome plated copper pipes. Only just found out that you shouldn't do this but I have fitted JG elbows into chrome tails to a radiator all behind a stud wall. It's been fine since August 2023 but having experienced a superseal blow off on plastic pipe to a compression fitting makes me concerned
Thanks for watching! Copper you need a pipe slice, using anything else will give you a very bad cut and likely deform the pipe. For plastic you need pex shears.
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759 Ahh yes, SU 27 with thrust vecturail control. Just wondered, I was into photography and watched these birds fly overhead during an airshow some years ago, thanks.
Just had a boiler changed so need to change my shower,..(It was LP and now HP),..The boilers in the loft as is the control box for the shower,..I believe i will need to find the hot and cold supply from the boiler then tee into the plastic pipes,...I'm wondering about the longevity of speedfit,...Have to admit i did not use inserts with the first shower and they have been perfect for a good 12 years or so now!
The seals are rated for 50 years if installed correctly, which does include the insert. That should out live most of us! Personally if I can use copper and solder, I will, but if not then pex is perfectly suitable. Thanks for watching!
Hi, thank you for your video. I have used two pipe inserts and a coupler to fix a damaged pipe in my garden (for an outbuilding i have). After three days where everything worked fine, water came through again. After digging the pipe out again i noticed one of the inserts had come out of the pipe on one hand. Do you think it was because I put the insert in the wrong way (maybe not pushed totally in as the access to the pipe was very narrow and uncomfortable) or there might be some other reason? Do you have any advice to avoid such a thing in future, especially for peace of mind? I was thinking to add a layer of tape to give an extra layer of support, but that doesn't sound like a proper solution. Thanks in advance.
It sounds like your pipe is underground, I don’t think these fittings are rated for use underground, ideally you would use the blue mdpe pipe and the pushfit fittings for those. I wouldn’t suggest taping it, I expect the fitting didn’t get a good seal when you put it on, the pipe needs to be clean and pushed all the way in to get a good seal on the O ring. Unfortunately you’ll need to dig a deeper hole and expose more of the pipe to sort it. You could install an access chamber so you can sort it if it happens again. Personally id dig in a new MDPE supply and get rid of any joins underground. Thanks for watching!
Good video.. thanks..You say it isn't necessary to put an insert in a copper pipe when using a push fitting.. but does it actually make the seal less efficient by doing so?
Thanks for watching! I imagine it wouldn’t be detrimental to the seal, however the inner diameter of copper pipe is larger than pex, so the inserts aren’t a tight fit in copper and would have an impact on flow, although likely negligible across your whole system.
I realise this is an old video now, but I need some advice. I live in France and I employed a plumber to change the copper to plastic, as the copper is old and the joints are constantly failing. The plumber recommended multilayer pipe ie plastic with an aluminum liner and push fit fittings. He's left me with the job unfinished and as it seems impossible to find a reliable plumber around here, I'm considered finishing myself. Most of the videos Ive found are just plastic to copper, but I havent found anything for multilayer to copper. Do you know if I need any specific tools for this? As the pipe is aluminium lined, will I still need inserts?
I’m not sure why plastic would need an aluminium liner, seems odd. Standard pex is double walled anyway. Sorry i can’t help, best to speak to someone french! Thanks for watching!
I think you may be referring to the aluminium used by some companies as the oxygen barrier in plastic pipe. It's not a lining. So transition from plastic to copper does not matter as long as pipe sizes are the same. Yes, you do need inserts for the plastic pipe even if aluminium lined as there is no strength to it.
JG sells different types of inserts, it gets a bit confusing. There's white ones with blue seals, white ones with black seals, white with no seal at all and beige ones with blue seals. Does it matter which one to choose?
It looks like the fittings shown can be dismantled but I'm using Hep2O which has no obvious method of dismantling. On one tee when I removed it one of the stainless steel inserts stayed in the fitting and I don't know how to remove it.
Hep2o need a special tool to demount them, you can get them in screwfix or tool station very cheaply. I’m not sure if the fittings can be taken apart like a JG fitting, as i don’t use hep2o, but I would think if you get a pair of long nose pliers, you can pull the insert out of the fitting. Thanks for watching!
Well you certainly don't need inserts on copper pipe. I have never used inserts on any of my kitchen and bathroom installations. The early John Guest fittings were a problem but soon dropped. The latest products are bulletproof if installed with care !
The only leaks I've seen with JG Pushfit are the combination of mounting under tension (inserting the pipe under an angle with force), not loosening the connector first and sharp edges on the pipe. This will damage the O-ring and if you're lucky it will leak immediately. Also, beware of sunlight. UV light can make the connection brittle over years when exposed. Any thoughts on insulating the push-fit fittings? They are quite bulky compared to compression fittings.
Why can't you use the insert in a copper pipe? The insert is not just for ridgity but also has additional o rings for a better seal. So my question is why can't they be used?
They aren’t designed for copper, they are too small to be used inside the copper pipe. Copper has a larger internal diameter than the pex pipe. I don’t know why inserts for the copper don’t exist though, i guess the pipe is so rigid that it isn’t needed
@@redx11x IME you have to match the brand of insert with the same brand of pipe as the pipes have slightly different internal diameters. Perhaps the same would be true for copper and that would be a problem if the internal diameters are not consistent or labelled?
@@redx11xI agree, one of my pushfit tees for a garden tap has started leaking after 6 months, It's damaged my neighbours ceiling below. I won't be using pushfit to copper again.
Thanks for watching! That’s strange, it might be a particular brand of pipe they are referring to perhaps? JG and Hep2o are both definitely safe for drinking water.
You certainty can use JG and hep20, both safe . Your info confusing when thinking from the stop cock you would have to use copper straight to the tap. Most new builds use JG speed fit from the stop cock.
Most of the plumbing in the house I moved into last year is JG push fit although the pipes under the kitchen sink and boiler are copper. Of the two, JG seems better to work with. With Hep 20 you have to twist the pipe into a fitting so awkward for a fixed in pipe where as with JG, you push the pipe in and and twist the collar on the fitting.
@@johnbeck5795 you do not have to twist the hep20 at all . The twist is to check only, it is a rumble feeling " insure joint tech " , very good . I prefer hep20 anyway , imo better grip and seal . Both very good and push easily, as said the hep20 is a twist to feel if required as this is great if your hands are right under a tight spot and cant see if the pipe went in far enough ( about 3/4" ). JG you need to see the pipe go in by the pipe markings , same as hep20 but at least hep20 has that secondary feel check.
JG Speed Fit with modern unvented cylinders are "designed to fail" with one blaming the other. Spec JG speedfit: Cold (20°C): 12bar Hot (65°C): 6bar Modern (duplex steel) unvented, when airpocket not serviced: PRV: 8bar TPRV: 10bar (Manfacturers: there is no need for them to be this high!!! You should give customers options!). So, for hot water, the JG Speed Fit will fail when unvented is not serviced. Please don't say, "that's the customers fault for not servicing there cylinder". Unvented cylinders are designed to vent safely down the tundish when unserviced or when there is a problem . . . . they should not be releasing pressure/water through these JG Speed fit connectors.
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759I think you miss the point. Statistically, with 100 installations with your 7bar and 6bar relief valves and JG Speed Fit rated (their own spec!!!) at 6bar with 65°C water, more and more failures WILL occur. Factor in a scratched pipe degrading the effectivenes of the O-Rings or hotter water, that failure rate will increase especially when the unvented system is not serviced and the airpocket disappears and you have an overpressure situation. . . . . . like I said, a system desgined to fail.
I've had two pinhole leak failures with copper pipe in the last ten years - luckily both times in fairly accessible places. The only issue I have ever had with JG Speedfit was when the o ring was missing. Since then I always disassemble every connector before using now out of principle. Plastic is rated to something like 15 bar...
Whenever I've used compression fittings (over 30 years) I have always had a leak. Always. I discovered these push fittings 20 years ago and decided to use them when fitting a new kitchen and bathroom. Jobs completed in no time at all and no leaks whatsoever all this time. Best thing ever for a non-plumber DIYer. Love your insights keep them coming and hope that your subscriber list improves dramatically.
Yes I’ve had similar issues with compression fittings, much prefer the pushfit. Thanks the support and watching!
@@sonacphotos I don't know what I've been doing wrong. As an example, a few years ago I had my boiler replaced together with a couple of radiators. I mentioned my leak problem to the plumber and he asked me to show him what I was doing (wrong.) He examined my work, said it was perfect, turned the water on and it leaked! However, I have followed the advice in this video and others online especially in regard to using PTFE tape incorrectly, experimented on an outside tap and woohoo, no leaks. It just goes to show you are never too old to learn.
@@sonacphotos…..but not over-tighten it either.
One mistake some people make with compression fittings is using PTFE tape on the threads. That stops the nut from tightening fully and you get inadequate compression of the olive. Never use anything on the threads but you can put a smear of White Hawk or similar jointing compound round the olive.
@@Phiyedough If the olive and seat are cleaned before tightening the joint will not leak, white hawk or similar jointing compound is for cowboys, try undoing and re-tightening a compression fitting that has been put together with jointing compound, after a while the compound will have gone hard and crusty, also some of the compound will find it's way inside the pipe and clog up any narrow passage like a rad valve etc. Cowboys won't be bothered about other things getting clogged because it will be another excuse to rip off the customer at a later date.
Clear and concise instructions which I will benefit greatly from. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it, thank for watching!
Thank you for sharing your experience. I love DIY and I am trying to constantly improve.
You’re very welcome, thank you for watching!!
Thanks for the tips, very useful
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
One to add to this using speedfit on chrome plated copper pipes. Only just found out that you shouldn't do this but I have fitted JG elbows into chrome tails to a radiator all behind a stud wall. It's been fine since August 2023 but having experienced a superseal blow off on plastic pipe to a compression fitting makes me concerned
Excellent content. Do you have advice on proper way to cut pipe to minimize damage?
Thanks for watching! Copper you need a pipe slice, using anything else will give you a very bad cut and likely deform the pipe. For plastic you need pex shears.
Great video, thanks. Whats the fighter jet on your computer, I'm thinking mig 25 or f18
Thanks for watching! Very close! It is a Ukrainian SU 27 from their display team. Nothing to do with the war, I just like the jet.
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759 Ahh yes, SU 27 with thrust vecturail control. Just wondered, I was into photography and watched these birds fly overhead during an airshow some years ago, thanks.
They are very cool machines, I saw this one at RIAT in 2017 if I recall correctly.
Just had a boiler changed so need to change my shower,..(It was LP and now HP),..The boilers in the loft as is the control box for the shower,..I believe i will need to find the hot and cold supply from the boiler then tee into the plastic pipes,...I'm wondering about the longevity of speedfit,...Have to admit i did not use inserts with the first shower and they have been perfect for a good 12 years or so now!
The seals are rated for 50 years if installed correctly, which does include the insert. That should out live most of us! Personally if I can use copper and solder, I will, but if not then pex is perfectly suitable. Thanks for watching!
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759 Great info,thanks !
Hi, thank you for your video. I have used two pipe inserts and a coupler to fix a damaged pipe in my garden (for an outbuilding i have). After three days where everything worked fine, water came through again. After digging the pipe out again i noticed one of the inserts had come out of the pipe on one hand. Do you think it was because I put the insert in the wrong way (maybe not pushed totally in as the access to the pipe was very narrow and uncomfortable) or there might be some other reason? Do you have any advice to avoid such a thing in future, especially for peace of mind? I was thinking to add a layer of tape to give an extra layer of support, but that doesn't sound like a proper solution. Thanks in advance.
It sounds like your pipe is underground, I don’t think these fittings are rated for use underground, ideally you would use the blue mdpe pipe and the pushfit fittings for those.
I wouldn’t suggest taping it, I expect the fitting didn’t get a good seal when you put it on, the pipe needs to be clean and pushed all the way in to get a good seal on the O ring. Unfortunately you’ll need to dig a deeper hole and expose more of the pipe to sort it. You could install an access chamber so you can sort it if it happens again.
Personally id dig in a new MDPE supply and get rid of any joins underground.
Thanks for watching!
can you use speedfit inserts with a non speedfit brand plastic pipe?
Yes, assuming the pipe is the same dimensions. I’ve used pipelife pipe many times with speedfit inserts, with no issues at all. Thanks for watching!
Hi. Could you tell us where you get the reamer from?
Yep sure, it was amazon and it is a bahco pipe reamer. If you search that, you’ll find it. Thanks for watching!
reamer, no such thing as a pipe reamer, us engineers fabricators call it a deburer
Good video.. thanks..You say it isn't necessary to put an insert in a copper pipe when using a push fitting.. but does it actually make the seal less efficient by doing so?
Thanks for watching! I imagine it wouldn’t be detrimental to the seal, however the inner diameter of copper pipe is larger than pex, so the inserts aren’t a tight fit in copper and would have an impact on flow, although likely negligible across your whole system.
You the man, cheers pal 👍
Thanks for watching!
Great video !!! thanks
Thanks for watching!
I realise this is an old video now, but I need some advice. I live in France and I employed a plumber to change the copper to plastic, as the copper is old and the joints are constantly failing. The plumber recommended multilayer pipe ie plastic with an aluminum liner and push fit fittings. He's left me with the job unfinished and as it seems impossible to find a reliable plumber around here, I'm considered finishing myself. Most of the videos Ive found are just plastic to copper, but I havent found anything for multilayer to copper. Do you know if I need any specific tools for this?
As the pipe is aluminium lined, will I still need inserts?
I’m not sure why plastic would need an aluminium liner, seems odd. Standard pex is double walled anyway. Sorry i can’t help, best to speak to someone french! Thanks for watching!
I think you may be referring to the aluminium used by some companies as the oxygen barrier in plastic pipe. It's not a lining. So transition from plastic to copper does not matter as long as pipe sizes are the same. Yes, you do need inserts for the plastic pipe even if aluminium lined as there is no strength to it.
JG sells different types of inserts, it gets a bit confusing. There's white ones with blue seals, white ones with black seals, white with no seal at all and beige ones with blue seals. Does it matter which one to choose?
Nope, they’re all the same. There are some with fewer or no seals, id avoid those. Thanks for watching!
Would also include clipping up around connectors.
Yep good point! Thanks for watching!
It looks like the fittings shown can be dismantled but I'm using Hep2O which has no obvious method of dismantling. On one tee when I removed it one of the stainless steel inserts stayed in the fitting and I don't know how to remove it.
Hep2o need a special tool to demount them, you can get them in screwfix or tool station very cheaply. I’m not sure if the fittings can be taken apart like a JG fitting, as i don’t use hep2o, but I would think if you get a pair of long nose pliers, you can pull the insert out of the fitting. Thanks for watching!
Beautiful SU27 great content too, best I've found
Thanks for watching!!! Very kind of you to say, thanks Ian!
Well you certainly don't need inserts on copper pipe. I have never used inserts on any of my kitchen and bathroom installations. The early John Guest fittings were a problem but soon dropped. The latest products are bulletproof if installed with care !
Not worth the risk in my view, but you are right that a leak is unlikely. Thanks for watching!
You didn't mention the plain pipe inserts when you are using a compression joint on plastic pipe !
Yes good point! Thanks for watching
The only leaks I've seen with JG Pushfit are the combination of mounting under tension (inserting the pipe under an angle with force), not loosening the connector first and sharp edges on the pipe. This will damage the O-ring and if you're lucky it will leak immediately.
Also, beware of sunlight. UV light can make the connection brittle over years when exposed.
Any thoughts on insulating the push-fit fittings? They are quite bulky compared to compression fittings.
Good points, thanks for watching!
Why can't you use the insert in a copper pipe? The insert is not just for ridgity but also has additional o rings for a better seal. So my question is why can't they be used?
They aren’t designed for copper, they are too small to be used inside the copper pipe. Copper has a larger internal diameter than the pex pipe. I don’t know why inserts for the copper don’t exist though, i guess the pipe is so rigid that it isn’t needed
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759 i get the ridigity part, but they have additional seals that give peace of mind so I'm not sure why they are not made
@@redx11x IME you have to match the brand of insert with the same brand of pipe as the pipes have slightly different internal diameters. Perhaps the same would be true for copper and that would be a problem if the internal diameters are not consistent or labelled?
@@redx11xI agree, one of my pushfit tees for a garden tap has started leaking after 6 months, It's damaged my neighbours ceiling below. I won't be using pushfit to copper again.
I was told at my local TS branch that plastic pipe can not be used to plumb a tap used for drinking water.
Thanks for watching! That’s strange, it might be a particular brand of pipe they are referring to perhaps? JG and Hep2o are both definitely safe for drinking water.
You certainty can use JG and hep20, both safe . Your info confusing when thinking from the stop cock you would have to use copper straight to the tap. Most new builds use JG speed fit from the stop cock.
Most of the plumbing in the house I moved into last year is JG push fit although the pipes under the kitchen sink and boiler are copper. Of the two, JG seems better to work with. With Hep 20 you have to twist the pipe into a fitting so awkward for a fixed in pipe where as with JG, you push the pipe in and and twist the collar on the fitting.
@@johnbeck5795 you do not have to twist the hep20 at all . The twist is to check only, it is a rumble feeling " insure joint tech " , very good . I prefer hep20 anyway , imo better grip and seal . Both very good and push easily, as said the hep20 is a twist to feel if required as this is great if your hands are right under a tight spot and cant see if the pipe went in far enough ( about 3/4" ). JG you need to see the pipe go in by the pipe markings , same as hep20 but at least hep20 has that secondary feel check.
That's absolutely not true...
Used the copper ones, alway get a leak . Hate them
Copper inserts or copper push fit? I’m not a fan of either personally. Thanks for watching!
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759 copper push fit from screw fix, always get a drip from one, can't undo them, end up great mound of epoxy seal on it.
@@yesihavereadit are you talking about tectite?
@drcl7429 the screwfix ones. You can't get them off . Very annoying . I'm probably doing something wrong.
@@yesihavereadit The only copper push fit that screwfix sell are Tectite brand and they are sold as not demountable.
JG Speed Fit with modern unvented cylinders are "designed to fail" with one blaming the other.
Spec JG speedfit:
Cold (20°C): 12bar
Hot (65°C): 6bar
Modern (duplex steel) unvented, when airpocket not serviced:
PRV: 8bar
TPRV: 10bar
(Manfacturers: there is no need for them to be this high!!! You should give customers options!).
So, for hot water, the JG Speed Fit will fail when unvented is not serviced. Please don't say, "that's the customers fault for not servicing there cylinder". Unvented cylinders are designed to vent safely down the tundish when unserviced or when there is a problem . . . . they should not be releasing pressure/water through these JG Speed fit connectors.
The PRV on my unvented cylinder is 6bar and TPRV is 7bar, so i don’t think i should have any issues with speedfit failing. Thanks for watching!
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759I think you miss the point. Statistically, with 100 installations with your 7bar and 6bar relief valves and JG Speed Fit rated (their own spec!!!) at 6bar with 65°C water, more and more failures WILL occur. Factor in a scratched pipe degrading the effectivenes of the O-Rings or hotter water, that failure rate will increase especially when the unvented system is not serviced and the airpocket disappears and you have an overpressure situation. . . . . . like I said, a system desgined to fail.
They always talk about, how great it is to use 2 more O-Rings.
They never talk about, how bad it is to create 2 more points where it could leak...
Maybe haha, they work well though
We all know right 😂😂
Thanks for watching!
Copper is king
I've had two pinhole leak failures with copper pipe in the last ten years - luckily both times in fairly accessible places. The only issue I have ever had with JG Speedfit was when the o ring was missing. Since then I always disassemble every connector before using now out of principle. Plastic is rated to something like 15 bar...
Push fit for fake plumbers
Thanks for watching Anthony!